The present invent ion relates in a general manner to an actuating mechanism of a three-position switch, the switch comprising a main shaft supporting or actuating electrical contacts and able to be moved selectively to three stable positions, a center position or an open position, a switch closed position and an earthed closed position, the main shaft being connected by levers, on the one hand to a first switch closing and opening operating device and on the other hand to a second earthing closing and opening operating device.
A state-of-the-art operating mechanism of the kind mentioned above comprises two operating devices which cooperate with a single spring imposing high-speed operations of said main shaft, so that the levers transmit an increasing torque to the main shaft from the center position to the switch closed and earthed closed positions, at the dead point of stable locking of the main shaft.
An operating mechanism of this kind does not enable an increasing force to be obtained on closing of the switch and a decreasing force to be obtained on opening of the switch.
Moreover, a mechanism of this kind does not enable high-speed actuation with release of energy to be achieved at the same time for the switch closing, opening and earthing closing operations.
Moreover, a mechanism of this kind does not enable assembly to be achieved, using the same parts, either according to a configuration in which the action a user has to perform to trigger closing of the switch is a single movement performed on a single part, or another configuration in which the action a user has to perform to trigger closing of the switch is a loading action and an independent triggering action.
One object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which does not present the shortcomings set out above with respect to mechanisms of the prior art.